Devoted Mother
by Niteflite
Summary: Dorian Leech's mother is in denial, but she's trying to come to grips that he might be something unlike anything she's ever had to deal with. I haven't seen any Leech-centric fics so far, so here's mine! Also explores the possibility of his being relate


Disclaimer: I don't own X-men: Evolution  
  
Author's Note: Reader, I'm afraid I was thinking...(a dangerous pastime, I know) When Leech was introduced, there was more than one comment on how he looked like a slightly modified Toad. And... I figure, they're both from Bayville! What if they were actually related? So I decided to explore a possible stream of consciousness about Leech. This is from his mother's point of view.  
  
Dedication: This is dedicated to... er... I don't know if anyone would actually be proud of me for this one, so I'll dedicate it to the Tau Delta Phi chair. I was looking forward to seeing it precariously hanging out the Tower window, and here, in my freshman year, they declare it a hazard. After more than thirty years... Go figure.  
  
A Mother's Love  
  
She looked in on her son as he watched TV. He was different; he was unique. But if anything, he was not a mutant. He was simply a sick little boy. She didn't want to inflict on him the trouble of being an outcast as well.  
  
Little Dorian was considered "weird" by his playmates, but she managed to convince their parents that it was just an illness, and that one shouldn't talk about it. No one did. You could always trust reasoning adults to avoid uncomfortable subjects. She was just glad he didn't take after her sister's side of the family.  
  
When he'd been younger, the two little families had gotten together more than once a week. After all, they both lived in the same city. Dorian still looked up to his older cousin, but the Tolenskies rarely even spoke about the boy.  
  
Strange how just one gene could change a parent's view of their child. Todd had been... well, not really a good boy, but at least a smart boy. His parents had given him any opportunity he'd needed to get ahead in life, but when he was invited by the principal to live in the Boarding House, they let him go without protest.  
  
She could never see how her sister could give her own child up so easily. She'd placed herself between Dorian and danger when he had been threatened that very day, when the...plated boy came into the grocery store to shop. She had just been buying the usual weekly supplies, considerably lessened since she and Joseph had filed for a divorce together. That and toast were the only things they could fully agree on, lately. They'd loved each other to begin with, but as years passed, the flame died down and neither could pinpoint an exact moment where they became tired of each other.  
  
She knew Dorian must blame himself. There was no reason for him to, but she could see it in his eyes whenever the two of them talked in front of him. He hoped that Mom and Dad would realize that the parents in _The Parent Trap_ really did love each other, so maybe if they just talked, they'd fall back in love. Sometimes, she found herself wishing that too. It would make things just so much easier.  
  
She'd have had help deflecting the accusations hurled at her little boy, for one thing. When everyone began attacking the mutant teen, someone brought attention to Dorian's appearance and from there... It was open season on her baby boy.  
  
"He's just sick. There's no way he could be a mutant. He's not a mutant. No way." And yet...  
  
They say it runs in the family, right? What about Todd? She'd finally found out after a year that the reason he lived in that broken-down boarding house is the mutant gene he shares with the other kids holed up in that hellhole. He hadn't told her, she'd had to figure this all out after seeing him jumping about on television. If he could have the mutant gene... then anyone could be a mutant. Even Dorian. Each mutant has a power, too. Todd's is his long tongue, much longer than when he was a little boy and stuck out his tongue at the infant Dorian on more than one occasion. He also jumped from the most uncomfortable position known to man.  
  
She let her mind wander slightly more for a moment, dwelling on her son. If he had powers...what on earth would they be? She couldn't honestly come up with any feasible explanations. He didn't do anything physical... and nothing else was unusual except for those headaches he continued to complain about.  
  
Could they have anything to do with...it?  
  
And maybe it's not quite normal to have to take the microwave down to the shop after Dorian's really bad migraines.  
  
"Mom? Mom!" She raced into the living room where he'd been watching television. The TV was sparking and blank, and he looked...healthier for a couple of seconds. More frightened, but healthier.  
  
Maybe he took after Todd more than she wanted.  
  
No matter. He still needed care, whether a mutant or not. She crouched down and gathered him into his arms, murmuring about headaches and aspirin.  
  
"My poor baby... Is your head hurting more? Do you need an aspirin?"  
  
"No, Mom, I'm fine... Just... My headache stopped at the same time the TV did. Am I really a... a mutant? Like him?"  
  
She wasn't ready for this question. Not yet... She didn't know the answer herself. "Of course not, honey. What did I tell you before? You're just very sick."  
  
~*~  
  
Author's note: Yeah... I seem to really like fics dealing with denial every so often... I just felt that Mrs. Leech was in waaay too much denial... so I tried to write a fic with her just barely starting to deal with it. I'd like comments, if only to find out who actually read a fic based on Leech. Reviews are very very welcome! 


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